Shortening Up Rear Hatches on a '74 20' SF

[pluffmud]

Got two rear hatches off a '73 or '75 for my '74 that are a couple inches too wide. The hatches appear to fit snugly with the existing channels that are in my boat.

What is the best way to go about cutting out a middle section of the two hatches and joining the two pieces back together?

Take out the core on the underside, make two cuts on the hatch, grind the underside and apply 1708 and CSM. Then put CSM on the topside and recore the underside of the hatch? Or would it just be best to use the hatches as templates and completely redo them.

[Yardguy]

I would run a router with a smaller diameter bearing around the hatch and the opening. Sand and repaint. Cutting a hatch is just asking for warping, and alot more labor to fix

[wattaway2]

Personally I would just make a mold from melamine board and make new ones. For smaller pcs I think you would spend more time cuttinout the board sectioning the existing hatches then laying the glass on both sides ,grinding and sanding then recording . They have a white pvc plastering molding that’s about 5/8-3/4” tall with a bunch of holes on one leg that works perfect screwed to the melamine board